* Steam Warning *

The wine hit Lexi like a powerful ocean wave, the kind that catches you when you're not looking, and she set her empty glass on the balcony wall as she stared at the spectacular scenery. Hades had suggested a breath of fresh air after she admitted to feeling overwhelmed, although standing on a tower floating magically over a gorge didn't exactly qualify as calming.

In the distance, the forests glowed with fall color, which she had confirmed was not her imagination. The underworld's seasons mimicked the ones at home. That, alone, gave her some peace. She also learned that minotaurs, centaurs, and all manner of mythical creatures lived among the thick woods and fields. Granted, Hades was quick to point out that not all of them were civilized.

"The Asphodel Meadows are perfect for a picnic." Hades's voice tickled her ear as he stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin resting on her shoulder. He had been there since they arrived on the balcony, with his engine revving at her back.

"I'm good with that, as long as there's no chance of being trampled by wild beasts. How far is Tartarus from here?"

"Do not worry about Tartarus, Lexi. You would have to travel a great distance to find it, and the entrance is well protected. Imagine two dogs like Cerberus, only five times larger."

"Hellhounds?" she whispered.

"In mortal terms, yes. We just call them hounds. How are you feeling, now? Has the wine helped?"

As Hades spoke, he peppered Lexi's neck with light kisses, sending supercharged chills down her spine. She knew he was anxious to make good on his promise to ravage her, and she felt the same hunger, but she was stalling. Was she apprehensive about sharing a bed that belonged to his former lover? The gods probably did it all the time. Would it be rude to ask for another room? Hades and his nymphs had already done so much to make her feel comfortable.

"I need you like the horizon needs the sun." His whispered plea floated across her skin, making her heart skip a beat, and she turned in his arms, offering an unreserved smile.

This seemed to be all the validation he needed, and he scooped her into his arms to carry her back inside. When they reached the foot of the bed, he set her on her feet. He stood very close, but he did not touch her, while his eyes smoldered like an ever-burning flame.

"My desire for you is consuming me, Lexi. But I sense your unease. If you need more time, I understand. I have waited a lifetime to find a goddess who stirs me like you do. I can wait a little longer to claim you here, in my domain." He took her hand and lifted it to his lips. "When a flower blooms, only the fortunate are there to witness the splendor. And when it opens, only the privileged persist to bask in its radiance."

Lexi felt sure she would swoon. Despite his position as an Olympian and lord of the underworld, Hades had no qualms wearing his emotions on his sleeve. She loved this about him – his human side.

"I have never been more ready to be claimed by you," she said boldly, convincing herself it was true.

Hades's lips twitched subtly, making Lexi's thighs clench. "Your surrender is my salvation. May I divest you of your clothing, Lady Lexi? I wish to gaze upon your lovely flesh unhindered." 

A blush heated her cheeks as Hades continued his poetic assault, proving that romance was not only the way to a girl's heart, but also the way into her panties. Was this really her future? She friggin' hoped so.

Lexi acknowledged his request with a nod, and Hades stepped even closer, his musky scent filling her head like smoke at a Flaming Lips concert. With movements that gave away his excitement, his fingers worked deftly to untie the cords of her blouse, and he folded the collar back, exposing her cleavage. He looked starved as he trailed his fingers over her skin, devouring her with his fiery gaze and triggering an ache inside her. The ache of expectation.

After a few moments of delicious torture, Hades grabbed a handful of fabric and lifted the shirt over her head, tossing it on a nearby chair. Then he spent some time tracing the outline of her bra, although it appeared to take great restraint, before he finally walked his fingers around her back and unhooked the clasp. His breath left him in a low hiss as he let the bra fall to the floor, and he slipped his hands around the flesh of her breasts without pause.

Lexi stifled a gasp at his bold possession, dropping her head back as he bowed to her chest, taking a nipple into his mouth and enveloping her in warmth. She dragged her fingers through his hair, placing her hands on either side of his head to hold him there as she relished the feel of his tongue. "Oh, gods...that feels...so good."

Hades smiled as he broke away, moving his fingers to the front of Lexi's jeans. He lowered the zipper slowly, deliberately, easing his hand down the front of her panties and cupping her mound. Heat flooded from his palm, and she cried out softly. His fingers were so close, teasing her sex with the promise of more.

Gently, he removed his hand and pulled off her jeans, letting her step out of them. Now, only her lace panties separated her from total nudity, and Hades backed up to take in the view, his eyes roving over her body like a villain. But she knew he was no villain. A villain couldn't melt her heart with a single smile.

"You are even more beautiful than I remember," he said. "I think I will leave the lace on, for now. Alright, Lexi. It's your turn."

He held up his arms in surrender, and Lexi's heart pounded a little harder. She had never taken a man's clothes off before, but the eager smile Hades wore made her less nervous, and she slipped her hands under his shirt to explore the contours of his abdomen. For someone who had already lived for centuries, he felt as toned as an athlete, and she sensed his power idling underneath. Buoyed by his sheer masculinity, she rolled his shirt up and over his head to get a better look.

With their torsos fully exposed, Lexi rested her breasts against his chest, and the touch of his naked skin had all the blood in her veins rushing southward. Reaching for his face, Lexi pulled Hades in for a kiss, and they devoured each other. Tongues, lips, and hands all groped for purchase, and her adrenaline surged when she felt him harden against her belly.

Spurred by pure lust, Lexi pulled down his zipper, greedily slipping her hand inside the waistband. His pants dropped to the floor as she traced his length through his briefs before helping herself to his backside, using it as leverage to flatten their bodies together. When she felt him straining for release, she made a move to accommodate him, but he caught her by the wrist.

"Wait. I want to savor this a little longer."

With a playful tug, Hades pulled Lexi onto the bed, lowering himself over her and fitting his hardness snugly against her center. As he moved, it triggered her need like a match strike, and she hooked her legs around his waist, guiding him back and forth until she felt her orgasm start to build.

"Hades, I need you. I love you." She declared herself as passion turned into a burning fever, and Hades's breath hitched as it warmed her flushed skin.

"You have me, Lexi. Body and soul." His fingers brushed her pelvis as he yanked down her panties. Clearly, he had hit his wall of restraint. He removed his briefs next, and Lexi bit her lip as she glanced down at him. No desire could reveal itself more prominently. So much had been hidden in the darkness of the limo.

"I want to share something with you I think you'll like." Hades rolled away and sat cross-legged on the bed, patting his thighs. "Sit here and wrap your legs around my waist."

With her pulse and her libido fighting for supremacy, Lexi didn't hesitate. She climbed onto his lap and locked her ankles behind his back. The tip of his erection rested against her sensitive flesh, causing a wellspring between her legs. Breathlessly, Lexi waited for his instructions.

"Put your hand on my chest like this." Hades demonstrated by placing her hand on his chest before putting his on top of it. "This is a tantric yoga pose. It allows a couple to tune into each other's emotions and energy. Hold it there a moment and tell me if you feel anything."

Although the mood had gone from wildly passionate to thought-provoking, Lexi couldn't keep the grin off her face. "Oh, I feel something all right, but it's not coming from my hand on your chest."

A crooked smile lifted Hades's lips, and Lexi felt his heart race under her palm. "Yes, I feel it too. I'm not sure why I thought we could accomplish this while our bodies are humming to a different tune. Later, perhaps." He reached around her back, tugging her closer, then he gently pushed his thickness inside her. "This is the second part of that pose. I think you'll like this better."

Lexi arched her spine as his words drifted to a murmur, and she rocked into his pelvis, taking him as far as her body would allow. She heard him utter an otherworldly moan, but that was it. She was humming her own tune as he filled her up, satisfying her like an elusive itch that finally gets scratched. 

Hades began anointing her face with kisses; first on the chin, then the cheeks, and finally the lips, and Lexi opened her mouth to invite in his tongue. His fingers snaked between her legs, and Lexi indulged in his touch, gyrating into him like a horse bucking against its ties. She released the imaginary reins and rode as far she could go, racing toward her climax.

"Damn." Hades's curse came at the end of an open-mouthed groan as he held tightly to her hips, slowing her momentum. "You challenge me at every turn, my sweet. My willpower is nearly spent. But, first, I need to feel you quake around me."

While Lexi could have kept the momentum going, they did have eternity to test each other's willpower, and she submitted to Hades's request, closing her eyes and succumbing to a powerful orgasm. With Hades still holding on, she rode the wave to the summit, following the pleasure all the way to its shuddering conclusion. And when she blinked the room back into view, he was staring at her, his face awash with emotion.

"I spoke too soon," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "Now you are more beautiful than I remember."

She smiled as she leaned forward to press a kiss to his lips, still clinging to the retreating throb between her legs. "I believe it's your turn."

Hades offered a crooked grin as he slowly withdrew. Then he took Lexi's hand and wrapped it around him. "My pleasure is in your hands."

Lexi felt like a randy schoolgirl spying on the boys in the locker room. Not that she had ever done that, but now that she had a man of her own – correction, a god – she planned to enjoy every minute of it. Hades swelled inside her grip, both plush and powerful, sticky and slick, and she brought her mouth to his neck, tasting the salt on his skin as she imagined tasting other parts of him.

The elements suddenly rose to the occasion, and a gust of wind swirled around them like a tornado, whipping her hair into their faces. Hades's respirations switched from calm and controlled, to labored and frantic as he threw his head back, mouth open, his ass lifting off the bed.

"I surrender!" His impassioned plea rang in her ears as he let go, and she used the liquid that flowed between her fingers to bring him crashing over her, jerking and heaving in frenzied breaths. Lexi's pulse quickened as she pictured him releasing inside her, coating her with his warmth and taking their love all the way. 

Exhausted, they rested there, heads propped on each other's shoulders, breathing in the heady scent of sex. Lexi's mind and body reeled with the energy of giving herself to Hades. It felt stronger than wielding her godly powers, more intense than making the winning goal for the lacrosse cup, and even better than beating that preppy clod on horseback. Was this the euphoria of sex everyone talked about? Or, was it the powerful emotions of love? Maybe, it was both.

Hades lifted his head lazily, introducing Lexi to the smile of a sexually satisfied god. He brushed a strand of hair off her face as the stars in his eyes winked at her. "To hell with commanding the elements. I think you just came into your true power."

Lexi grinned, almost believing his words. "You are my source, mon amour."

At that moment, with her body humming and the air buzzing, Lexi knew she was ready to take up her position as goddess of the underworld, commanding the throne during Persephone's absence and ruling alongside her handsome god. Hades had ignited a spark in her that burned like a brush fire. As long as he continued to stoke it, she would give him everything he asked for whenever he asked for it. Something about it felt like destiny, and Lexi was fueled up and thirsty for a fiery and passionate eternity.

~  FIN  ~

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings my faithful readers. I am so happy to see you here at the end of LEXI'S UNDOING. Made ya think didn't it? Your WTF comments, as well as your kind words of encouragement, have given me lots of laughs and inspired me to continue the journey. LEXI'S FATE and LEXI'S PROMISE are both available on my profile for your reading pleasure, and the stories were written with your questions and comments in mind. Thank you for your divine support. 

PLAYLIST SONG: Under by Dengue Fever (Morgan Page remix)  

https://youtu.be/huW9B3MgfG4